Why Jesse Tree?
God wants us to REMEMBER Him. There are many Bible verses that express this.
Judge 2:10 “After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.”
This Jesse Tree activity makes a perfect YEARLY Christmas Advent Devotional, it centers on the stories of the Bible in chronological order!!
The Jesse Tree is the Family Tree of Jesus, and you and your children are part of this story!
Jesse was the father of King David according to the book of Samuel.
Jesse is mentioned by the prophets as being an important point in the the family line of Jesus.
The Jesse Tree is an age old way of getting to know Him - JESUS!!
The oldest known Jesse Tree is dated back to the year 1086 AD. The Jesse Tree was a drawing that was found in the Coronation Gospels of King Vratislaus. This book is currently located in the Czech National Library in Prague. Many Jesse Tree’s can be found in stained glass form located in Church’s around the world!
Today, you can REMEMBER the story line of the Bible EVERY CHRISTMAS with your children while you count down and anticipate Jesus’s Birthday!!
What is Advent?
It means, the coming - or arriving of a special event.
What is this Jesse Tree Devotional?
This coloring poster is a teaching tool, a devotional, and a way to countdown to Christmas - all centered on Jesus!
Through using YouTube videos to visually tell the daily Bible Stories that correspond with the Jesse Tree Poster - this becomes a unique way to remember what the season is for.
All the stories in this devotional connect to the prophecy that a Messiah is coming - JESUS, who was born on Christmas Day!
With this coloring poster and website, you’ll get to meet Jesus’s family and His-Story - God’s Story.
Each year, you will be reminded how everything written in the Bible has been orchestrated and planned out by a Sovereign God who has had a plan from the very beginning of Creation!
Each Daily Devotional Includes…
BIBLE VERSES
I use the New Living Translation (NLT) or the New International Version (NIV) on this website when listing verses.
The Jesus Storybook Bible, by Sally Lloyd-Jones is a book referenced under bible readings.
VIDEOS
In the busy time of Christmas - Show a video with your child using your phone or other device & color in a leaf!
I’ve included videos in my devotional for much of the same reason as the artwork.
To see and experience God in a different way.
In our ever changing times there are always new things to be aware of - God is at work,
and His chosen ones are still trying to bring His Kingdom to everyone.
Many people have been able to express and share the Bible stories in new and worshipful ways.
PUBLIC DOMAIN IMAGES
The images included in this devotional, I have gathered over time.
These historical artist renderings have always seemed to speak volumes to my visually oriented boys.
I have a few coffee table books of these same images, and I set them out at Christmas and Easter.
Often, over the years, I will find my boys staring at them - lost in their own world.
OR, they’ll come to me with VERY ODD, but thoughtful questions about God.
I believe that through artwork, they have obtained a dose of understanding, knowledge, and reverence for God.
Including images in this devotion, is an attempt at trying to make the invisible God, VISIBLE.
My children enjoy hearing Bible stories and pointing out any new details they discover about who God is.
For example - God has body parts! I love to see them marvel at the things of God.
In tuning your ears towards finding out new things about God and actively thinking about what you’re reading -
He can become more known to you.
God has body parts?
There are many instances of this figuratively and literally in the Bible…
In Genesis…
He speaks,
walks in the garden,
makes clothes for Adam and Eve…
In Exodus…
God has a mouth,
hands,
a back,
and a face.
This is what God spoke to Moses when Moses asked if he could see God:
Exodus 33:21-23
Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.
When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock
and cover you with my hand until I have passed. Then I will remove
my hand, and you will see my back. But my face will not be seen.”
Psalm 18:8
“Smoke poured from His nostrils; fierce flames leaped from His mouth..
Isaiah 41:10
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
John 1:14
“So the Word became flesh, and dwelt here among us….”
Relating to who God is, is a way to get to know Him better.
This devotional uses videos & images to help bring to life the characters in the Bible stories.
Seeing pictures, artwork and photos of people - is NOTHING like meeting the person face to face.
I hope that these images just help to bring you and your children more into marveling and thinking
about what these stories in the Bible tell.
Are you interested in seeing famous paintings of Isaiah? Abraham? John the Baptist?
Through viewing these historical images and artist renderings of the Bible stories, and people of the Bible -
They may draw you more into the story, history, and reality of the Bible.
COLORING POSTER
This is the main part of the devotional for the youngest children on up.
Having this hang in your home as a reminder of who He is and what’s important to you in the busyness of Christmas, should be fruitful.
It is helpful to have your Bible out near the poster and to be prepared in your own casual way to share the story with your child(ren).
Talking about each character or symbol, realizing it’s ALL a part of a Master Plan.
If pointing at each leaf, and having your child color it is all you can mange to do : JUST THIS, is a SUCCESS!
QUESTIONS
MY favorite way to learn is through asking questions.
In teaching your children about God, it is very productive to ask them to answer questions about what you have discussed or read with them.
I provide questions for you.
PRAYER
This is a valuable habit to teach your children!
This is how we pray:
We PRAISE God for who He is
We CONFESS our sins
We THANK God for what He has done
We TALK to God and try to LISTEN to Him
We ask Him for things we feel we need
If you don’t have a place that you go to for prayer with your children - it may be helpful to find a cozy, designated place.
We have a simple board that holds people’s names, photos, and information of who and what we should pray for.
Try to end each devotional in prayer, bowing down to your Creator in reverence - Jesus the Son of God.
Going Deeper
Why do a Jesse Tree Devotional for yourself or for your children?
In the Bible, whenever an important Godly leader prepared for death - they reviewed the history of what God has done, from the beginning, up to their lifetime.
With great reverence - their farewell addresses speak about the greatness of God.
They were purposefully reminding the people about what God had done for them.
The MIRACLES
The rescuing
The positives
The failures of the people were reviewed too - along with a plea for turning away from sins.
By the time a history had been formed, the review of what God had done for them was lengthy, and so important to pass on.
This is what each great leader had to say before their deaths:
Moses - Deuteronomy 32 is “The Song of Moses”, and in 33, Moses blesses the people.
Joshua - He says his farewell and reminds them of what God’s had done in Joshua 23, and in 24 Joshua speaks for God and He reviews their history too.
Samuel - He gives his farewell in 1 Samuel 12 and focuses on God and what He has done
David - He instructs Solomon to keep God the center of his personal and public life, but doesn’t review history in 1 Kings 2
I think the wonderful review that takes place in my own heart each year when I do my Jesse Tree - is the realization that all this history…
It’s all for a special, purposeful reason.
Everything is ALL sovereignly planned out and tied together orderly.
God’s Way is the BEST Way!
There’s so much depth and meaning to the Bible, that I am still learning more and more each year about the treasures in this Book!
Each Christmas it’s helpful to be reminded of the history in chronological order - leading up to Jesus’s birth.
It’s helpful to be reminded of this - or I forget about His greatness.
In reading God’s word, I am becoming healthier, I am growing - I have a relationship with God.
In drawing closer to Him, it’s easier for me to decide to shape my life as a response to my belief in Him.
My relationship with God is my saving Grace - and I really need it.
I am so thankful for it.
The more I get to know God, the more I realize what I need to do to dwell with Him.
God wants to dwell intimately and personally with each person HE created.
Psalm 40
King David loved God - he wrote many songs about his close relationship with God.
In Psalm 40 (and in others) he reveals his desire to dwell intimately and personally with God.
David’s Priests were offering sacrifices for forgiveness of sins at the time David wrote Psalm 40.
King David had a heart revelation, and wrote several times about how a person could more intimately dwell with God.
A part of Psalm 40 also appears in Hebrews 10:5-7 in the New Testament as David’s Psalm 40 refers to the future -
Forgiveness of sins through Jesus.
Psalm 40:6
“you take no delight in sacrifices or offerings,
Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand -
you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings”
David wrote this too…
Psalm 51:16
“The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit.
A broken spirit and a repentant heart, O God,
you will not despise”
Do you want to become closer to your Creator?
Closer to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?
It’s all about your heart condition...
With all your heart and mind go to God and be sorry for your sins - and make a choice to turn from them.
Maybe you think - “I’m good”
God has a better plan for you and your life through His Word - if you get to know Him, he’ll show you the Truth.
Isn’t there always room for improvement?
Psalm 40:8
“I take joy in doing your will, my God,
for your law is written on my heart.”
Psalm 40 is a gem for me as I try to explain: “Why Jesse Tree"?”
When I was in High School, for a season, I was very fond of music that wasn’t current - “old school” stuff - thanks to my older sister!
As I write this, I am reminded of U2’s song from 1983: 40 - which is about Psalm 40
I loved it, and I have memories of playing it alone in a car, very loudly, when I was 16 years old.
MOST people will not want to ‘sing a new song’ or change their life.
To follow Jesus and the God of the Bible, isn’t the easy way, or the popular way.
It takes perseverance, a commitment, and the Bible tells us that MOST will not follow it.
Reflect on Psalm 40 in your Bible!
It was written by King David over 1,000 years ago - & it is still sung today in LARGE concert venues!
May you always be HEALTHY, so that you can be GROWING in the right way and producing FRUIT with your life!
May this Jesse Tree Devotional bless you as you review what God has done to prepare for the Savior of the World -
May you Get to know Him and “sing a new song”!